Winch



Feb.'4, 1930. R, SYMNDS 1,746,060

WINCH Filed Jan. 26. 1928 15 ZZ Z012 Z4 1 8 14 Za" ,10

Patented` Feb. 4, 1930 -1 ..'rr.1\uv oFFic-E f RALPH E. SYMoNnS, or MAEBLEHEAD, MASSACHUSETTS, AsSIGNon To NEW ENGLAND STRUCTURAL PRODUCTS co., or EVEEETT, MASSACHUSETTS, A coEPoEATIoN 0E MASSACHUSETTS WINCH- Application mea January as, 1928. serial No. 249,540.

rlhis invention relates to winches, and more particularly to Winches foruse on shipboard in handling trawls, a service where the most exacting requirements are l encountered and where the greatest delicacy of control is essential. For example, in bringing the tackle -and trawl doors up out of the water, it is necessary to hoist the doors to ust the proper height in order to clear the vessels rail when they are swung inboard,whereas if the hoisting is continued even slightly'too long, the tackle will jam in the Sheave and the cable will be broken or the gallows frame carried away. Other difficulties to be overcome arise from' the fact that on shipboard, in a, rough sea, the winch is subject to constant' vchange of'position, so that the weight of the moving .parts tends to interfere with the driving connections and introduces an element of uncertainty into the performance of the mecha.-

With these considerations in view, is an object of the present invention to provide a winch of such design that its hoisting drums shall be at all times under the sensitive confor moving one or the other of these elements and maintaining -its clutching engagement.

The actuation of one of the threaded members is effected, as herein shown, by a worm and worm-wheel under'the immediate controlof the winchman and such construction presents the further advantage'of being nonreversible or self-locking.

Other features ofthe invention consist in the provision of adjustable means for taking up wear throughout the mechanism and pro vision for end-thrust occurring in the elements ofthe winch. L

These and other features of the invention cross girts, comprising a heavy I-beam 13l extending across the rear of the winch and a lighter Ibeam 12 extending' across the front of the winch, these members being welded at their ends to the end pieces 10 and forming together a rigid framev of reat strength. Bolted to the upper flange of the'end pieces F1g. 1 is a view in perspective of the 10 are journal boxes 14 for a Shaft 16. The

shaft 16 extends beyond the end pieces 10 at either end and has a pair of Small hoisting heads 18 keyed thereto. The cross girt 12 carries -an upright post 21, having a journal box 22 at its upper end, which constitutes an intermediate bearing for the shaftv 16. The shaft carries a sprocket wheel 24, meshing with a sprocket chain 26, by .which the shaft 16 and the winch may be driven from any convenient source of power.

The end pieces 10 carry also upon their upper flanges a pair of journal boxes 30, in.

which is journaled the transverse hoisting shaft 32. Keyed to the center of the shaft 32 is a lar e gear wheel 34, meshing with and driven y a pinion 2O fast to the shaft' 16'. The gear wheel 34 is provided with opposite- `ly ,disposed tapering clutch surfaces at either side. Hoisting drums 36 are ournaled on the shaft 32 at either side of the geared clutch uponthe shaft so that either one may be moved into or'out of clutching engagement with the member 34. To this end, the inner tlangeof each drum 36 is provided with an annular tapering clutch surface whlch coopcrates with the male clutch surface of the ymember 30.

The hoisting shaft 32 extends entirely through the journal boxes 30 and is provided at each end with a cap 38 of greater diameter than the shaft which engages a vseries of member 34 and are longitudinally lmovable thrust washers 40 between its inner face and the outer face of the journal box 30, thus providing for end-thrust in either direction upon the shaft. Each of the journal boxes 30 is flanged at its inner end for connection with a threaded member or sleeve 42, disposed concentrically about the shaft 32 and having a flange by which it is bolted to the flange of the journal box, so that it is held rigidly in place although subject to adjustment, as will b e presently explained. v

In threaded engagement with the sleeve 42 is a nut 44, carrying a sectional ring 46 which projects into a groove in the hub of the drum 36 so that the nut is connected thereto positively for longitudinal movement, although free for relative rotary movement with respect to the drum. Between the end face ofthe drum and the inner end face of the nut 44 is located a seriesof thrust washers 48 which provide for end-thrust between the drum and the nut. The nut 44 is provided upon its periphery withelongated worm teeth with which meshes a worm 50, mounted on a transverse shaft 52 carried by a bearing bracket 54 .bolted to each of at its rear end a hand wheel 56 which the winchman rotates to'turn the nut 44 in either direction to move the drum 36 positively toward or from clutching engagement with the clutch member 34. v In order to adjust the longitudinal posi tion of the drum 36 upon the shaft 32, either in assembling the winch or in compensating for. wear, the threaded sleeve 42 has provision for rotary adjustment. To this end, the sleeve 42 is provided with a flange havlng a series of equally spaced bolt holes for bolts 43 which extend through the flange of the journal box 30. lBy removing the bolts 43, the threaded sleeve 42 may be turned in the required direction and then bolted in place again 1n any desired position of adjustment. A The outer flange of each hoisting drum 36 1s provided with an aperture 37, through which the end of the cable may be drawn, and with a stud 39, over which the cable may be. looped before starting a hoisting operation. The hub of the drum is provided with a tappedpilY hole, communicating with an oil reservoir located in the body of the hub about the shaft 32.

In order to arrest the movement of the hoisting drum 36 when disengaged from the clutch member 34 and to control its reverse action in paying out the cable, the inner flange of each drum is formed as a brake drum and cooperates with an external band brake, comprising two flexible bands 60 anchored at their lower ends and brought together and connected at their upper ends by a threaded shaft 62 having on its outer end a hand wheel 64. The brake shafts 62 are. supported at their outer end by a bearing bracket 66 which is secured to the upper flange of the cross girt 14 at the rear of the winch.' A sheet metal guard 28' is located between the brake bands of the hoisting ldrums and serves to cover the pinion 2O and gear teeth of the clutch member 34.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the longitudinal positionlof eachV clutch drum is positively Vcontrolled at all times so that there is no danger of vari-ation in the clutching engagement due to the deck angle. For example, if springs or gravity were depended upon to any degree in maintaining the clutchingengagement between the drums and the clutch member 34 and the vessel happened to roll so as to tilt the winch down at its left side, the left-hand drum 36 would tend to disengage itself from the central clutch member, so that its driving frictional clutch engagement would be decreased, whereas the drum 36 on the right side of the clutch would tend to settle itself more firmly upon the central clutch member. These variations in action are entirely avoided in the construction herein disclosed. the journal boxes 30. Each kshaft 52 carries The operation of the winch described will be apparent from the foregoing description but may be briefly summarized as follows.- The trawl cables are usually about three hundred fathoms in length. One end of each cable is secured to one of the drums 36 by being passed through the aperture 37 and looped over the stud 39, and the cable is coiled' on the two drums. In. setting the trawl, the doors are'secured to the free ends of the cable and dropped overboard. The brakes are released andthe cable allowed to pay out until the trawl is the desired distance astern of the vessel, whereupon the drums are brought to rest by the brakes.

When it is desired Vto haul in the trawl,

wheel 64, retarding the drum and bringingl it to rest in exactly the desired position and when completely disengaged from the clutch member 34. If, after long continued use, an excessive movement of the hand wheel 56 is required to bring the hoisting drum into clutching engagement, the bolts 43 are 'removed and the threaded stud 42 turned so as to advance the hoisting drum 36 a short distance, for example, oneLthird of a turn toward. the clutch member 34. The threaded stud is then secured in position anew and -the winch is in-condition to 'Operate'astbe fore.

It will be\I apparent that I have provided effecting` such engagement including a threaded member in ixed position on the shaft, anda nut having a positive rotatable connection with the drum in all positions thereof.

2. ,A winch comprising a shaft, a drum and clutch member relatively movable thereon, an adjustable threaded member concentric with the shaft, and a nut positively connected to Athe drum for longitudinal movement therewith in both directions, said drum being freely rotatable with respect thereto.

3. A winch comprising a shaft, a drum and clutch member rela/tively movable thereon, a threaded member arranged to be held stationary but having provision for rotary adjustment concentrically about the shaft, and a nutupon said threaded member and.

` having end-thrust bearings interposed between itself and the drum.

4. A winch comprising a shaft, a clutch .member fast thereto, a drum loose on the shaft, a threaded member concentrically disposed in longitudinally stationary position' on the shaftv and having provision -for angular adjustment about the axis of the shaft, and a nut upon said threaded member having connection with said drum for positively controlling at all times its position kwith respect to said clutch member.

j' 5. A winch comprising a frame with journal boxes rigidly secured thereto, a shaft journaled therein, caps secured to both ends of the shaft, end-thrust bearings interposed v'between the caps'and said journal boxes, a

centrally disposed clutch member, and a hoisting drum located on either side of the clutchmember and movable longitudinally on the shaft into clutching engagement therewith.

member and arranged positively to controlthe -position of the drumwith re. pect to the' clutch member, and worm and wormwheel mechanism for turning said nut.

8. A winch comprising a frame, a shaft journaled in the frame, a hoisting shaft having geared connections therewith including a geared clutch member fast on the hoisting shaft, hoisting drums journaled on said shaft at either sideof said clutch member and' having each a clutch face cooperating therewith, nuts concentrically disposed on the shaft and connected toeach drum, Aand separate hand wheelswith connections for'turning either nut to render eitherV drum operative. v

9. A winch comprising -a rigid .frame structure carrying spaced journal boxes, a

shaft 'journaled in said boxes and lhaving an enlarged cap secured to one end, thrust washers interposed between the cap and the outerface of itsl associated journal box, a driven clutch member secured to the shaft, and hoisting drums.movable'longitdinally on the shaft into'an'd out of clutching engagement therewith.

10. -A winch comprising a frame having a driven shaft, adrum and clutch member carried thereby and movable relatively into clutching engagement, and mechanism for veffecting such engagement including a threaded member in fixed position on the shaft, a nut having a positive rotatable connection with the drum in all positions thereof i and having gear teeth in periphery, va worm supported in mesh with said gear teeth, and a hand wheel for turning the-worm.

.11. A winch comprising a frame havingla driven shaft, a drum and-clutch member `carried thereby and movable relatively into clutching engagement, and mechanism for effecting such engagement including -a threaded member in fixed position on Vthe shaft, a nut having' a positive rotatable connection with the drumlin all positions thereof, and a hand wheel'having positive nonreversible connection with the nut for turning the latter in'either direction.

'1 V vRALPH F. SYMONDS.

6. A winch comprising a frame,a driving I shaft having a clutch member and a hoisting drum thereon, ,an adjustable threaded member concentrically disposed with respect to the shaft,'a nut on thethrefaded. member and positively connected to' the drum, -and self locking mechanism lforturning the nut.

7. A winch compri a frame, a' shaft journaled drum on saidsha'ft, an adjustable. thread-l embepconcentrially' disposed with respect to the shaft, a. iutpon said threaded therein, aclutc member and hoistnul 

